St. Paul daily globe., 1887-10-30
THAT BOGUS PETITION.
The Trades Assembly Sits on the Men
That Circulate It.
HIGH RATES NOT WANTED
The Assembly Not in Sympathy With
the Anarchists by Very
Long Deal.

The interstate commerce law and its
effects upon the railroads of Minnesota
was the topic that lent most interest to
the Trades and Labor assembly at their
meeting Friday night. The GLOBE, in
its report of the last meeting of the
trades council, published petition to
the governor, praying. him to
interfere against any cOntem-
plated action of the railroad com-
missioners looking towards a reduction
of freight rates. This petition, as al
legged, came from Minneapolis employees
of the Milwaukee road. At this same
meeting of the trades assembly testi-
mOny was offered by members working
in and around railroad shops and yards,
going to prove that the petition
was inspired by the general man
ager of the Milwaukee road, and
was first circulated through their yards
by favored employees. From the Mil
waukee yards in Minneapolis, accord
ing to statements made Friday evening
in the assembly meeting, the petition
has proceeded to the Northern Pacific
and Minnesota & Northwestern shops
and yards in St. Paul. A number of
employees in the Northern Pacific yards
were induced to sign the petition be-
cause rumOr had gained currency that
general ''lay-Otf'' on Monday was
contemplated, and the ''lay-off'' was
owing entirely to the lack of business
the railroad sustained through the en-
forcement of the interstate law. A del
egate from the Workingmen's Educa-
tiOnal association, who is employed in
the Northwestern yards, and who claims
to have seen the petition, assured the
assembly that the largest number of
signatures to the petition embraced for
elgnerS entirely ignorant of the princi-
pies involved. "If the same thing pre-
vailed
IN THE OTHER YARDS
as obtained in the Northwestern there
were more aliens than citizens OH these
petitions; hence the governor should
be acquainted with the fact" exclaimed
the delegate.
On motion of the Washington assem-
bly,, the trades assembly by resolution
emphasized it's declaration to stand in
line with the Farmers Alliance of Min
nesota to bring about and maintain an
equitable freight rate, and the commit
tee on appeals and grievances were di-
rected to present to the governor the
protest of organized labor in st. Paul
against any efforts of self-appointed
railroad committees.
A socialist member, with a copy of a
weekly newspaper in hand, read some
extracts commenting on the attitude of
the Trades assembly to the socialists.
He made motion that committee be
appointed to demand retraction. This
gave rise to passionate debate, during
which it was made manifest that, al
though the Trades assembly indorsed a
meeting to be called at Turner hall, to
protest against the execution of the an
archists, it had no part in the proceed
ings. The prominence given to the
Trades assembly in that meeting was
entirely owing to the zealousness of
the socialists, and was unauthorized by
the assembly. Their action was severely
denounced, and ther motions to inject
resolutions of any character, were re-
jected unanimously by the trades unions
present. ''